Waterproof building-wall structure



July 1, 1930. E. H. KLEIN WATERPROOF BUILDING WALL s'mucrunn Filed March17, 1950 Patented duly l, 1930 STATES PATEN'E OFFICE WATERPROOFBUILDING-WALL STRUCTURE Application filed March 17, 1930. Serial No.436,387.

This invention is a novel waterproof building wall structure, andpertains more particularly to the construction of walls for buildingsand the like from preformed wall blocks laid in horizontal courses andwith successive courses breaking vertical joints; it being understoodthat in referring to blocks it is intended to include any similar wallelements such as bricks; and the invention relates especially to modernfireproof walls comprising a face wall portion and a back wall portion,both portions built up of blocks, and the whole permanently united bymortar, including any cementing material.

The general object of the present invention is to afford a building wallstructure, and a system of wall elements or blocks adapted to theformation of such construction, which wall may be readily, quickly andaccurately 2o laid and have-improved strength and durability. Aparticular object is to afford a construction of building wall whichwill tend to exclude, to the maximum degree, the entry of water ormoisture through the wall. In modern high buildings, subject to highwind pressure, rain tends to percolate or seep through the wall,especially if the mortar be somewhat pervious, to the substantial injuryof the wall, and disfigurement of its interior surface; and the presentinvention is intended more especially to the prevention of the passageof moisture and wet through the wall notwithstanding weather conditionsinvolving a driving rain with intense wind pressure.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe explained in the hereinafter following description of an illustrativeembodiment thereof or will be understood to those skilled in thesubject. To the attainment of such objects and advantages the presentinvention consists in the novel building wall structure, wall elementsor blocks, and features of combination, arrangement and detail as hereinillustrated or described.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portionof a building wall embodying the structure of the present invention, thelowermost tier being seen in underneath perspective to show the construction of the under sides of the wall blocks.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the next lower portion of such wall, theupper course of blocks seen from above to show the upper sideconstruction thereof, matching with and complementary with the underside construction in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 2 of a portion of a coursenext below that seen at the left end of Fig. 2.

Said three Figures 1, 2 and 3 may be considered as a single figure sincethey comprise consecutive parts of a wall separated for purposes ofillustration.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view generally similar to Fig. 2 but showing theconstruction at one of the: bonding courses usually laid at regularintervals in a building wall, for example at everysixth course.

Fig. 5 is a'ge'nera'l vertical section view of the complete wall of theother figures, showing the wall face portion, back portion and bondingarrangement.

Figs. 6 and 7 are detached. perspective views of the two types of cornerblock embodied in this invention and corresponding with the cornerblocks seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4.

In one aspect the invention may be described as a building wallstructure comprising at its face portion a system of preformed blockslaid in courses andbreaking vertical joints, the blocks in each courseconstructed at their upper sides with upstanding shoulders extendinglongitudinally in alinement, so as to constitute a continuous interiorbarrier against inflow between courses, located at a substantialdistance back of the front sides of the blocks, and the blocksconstructed at their under sides with complementary longitudinalrecesses or depressions to receive the shoulders of the blocks of thenext course below. Specifically the upper sides of the blocks are formedwith lower and higher flat surfaces or steps and with upstandingshoulders between such surfaces, the resulting formation resemblingupwardly trending steps, with complementary surfaces or steps at theunder side to rest upon those of the blocks below; it being understoodthat the conformation of the upper and under surfaces respectively issuch as to admit and allow for a layer of connecting cement or mortarbetween the several blocks. The structure so described cooperates with acorner structure to be described, afiording a complete system.

Referrin to the drawings, the major part of the wall %ace of thisinvention may be com posed of blocks or bricks A, which will bedescribed as the regular form or side bricks to distinguish them fromthe special forms also disclosed. In addition to the regular bricks Athe drawings show special corner bricks B and'other special cornerbricks C, these two special forms adapted to be set alternately at rightangles to each other in successive courses. A complete wall face can beconstructed according to this invention with only the three shapes A, Band C; but as it is usually necessary to anchor or bond the exposed wallportion to a backing or interior wall, there is disclosed also a fourthform of face block or brick D constituting a header or bondin brick foranchoring purposes. These four forms adapt the invention tosubstantially all practical purposes, it

being understood that in certain circumstances it may be necessary tosplit a block or brick to complete ,or fill out a course, for examplethe split header brick D as shown in F ig. 4.

efore describing the details of the blocks 7 or bricks A, B, C and Dofthis invention,

which are preferably solid, reference may conveniently be made to Fig.5, in which the wall of this invention is shown as including aback wallportion composed of hollow tile E, superimposed and in contact with theblocks of this invention. Such hollow backing tile is illustrative ofthe wall backing, which mi 'ht be constructed on any known system. ig. 5indicates a course'ofbonding bricks D arranged periodically, forinterlocking the .two wall portions, the usualinterval being every sixthcourse, and the hollow backmg tile E is shown as of a heightsubstantially equal to 2% courses of wall blocks, with a pro ectingextension 6 behind the back end of the bonding bricks D, each pair ofsuch tile enclosm a recess receiving the backwardly extende end of oneor more bonding face bricks.

Referring next in detail to the regular blocks or bricks A of thisinvention, each of them is shown as of substantially greater widththanheight, and of substantially greater length than width, as is usual withbuilding bricks. The front surface a may constitute the face of eachbrick 'and afford the exposed face of the wall. Each brick A at itsupper side is constructed with a lower surface or step a, next to thefront, and then a shoulder or a rise a which presents an abruptelevation or ascent, and then a further surface or step a The surfacesor steps a and a are preferably flat and horizontal. The abrupt shouldera between them forms. a barrier to the inwardflow of moisture, evenunder air pressure. The successive shoulders at each course constitute asubstantially coninuous barrier against inflow. The shoulders are shownsubstantially midway of the width of the side bricks A; they must berelatively far back from the front to ensure that the pressure of inflowwill not be able to overcome the rise of the shoulder; and must not berelatively near either the front or back, as resulting in a shape easilybreakable, as 111 transit.

The under side of each .block or brick is preferably formedcomplementary to the upper side, with due allowance for connectingcement or mortar. Thus as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the under surfaceof each block A is formed with a flat horizontal portion a followed by ashoulder a stepping upwardly to a second step or surface a.

Beneath the surface a is the recess or depression accommodating theshoulder of the course beneath, as stated. The shoulders 0, and a at thebottom and top of each brick do not aline, but the former is set backsufliciently to accommodate a vertical extension or rise of mortar, asbest seen in Fig. 5. By this the mortar at each course extendscontinuously through from front to rear, and a full bed of mortar, fromto inch, is preferred in accordance with modern practice.

By the system thus described a straight wall may be constructed which issubstantially moisture proof. Any moisture tend ing to enter along thehorizontal spaces between courses, occupied by cement or mortar, iseffectively obstructed by the barrier or shoulder (1 The necessity ofrising from the level of step a to step a at this far interior point issuflicient to prevent inflow of moisture beyond this point. Moisturetending to enter at the vertical spaces between two bricks in the samecourse is met by the same barrier, since the inflowing moisturenaturally descends at an incline so as to strike upon the low front stepa of a brick in the next course below, being thus barred against furtherinflow by the shoulder a back of such step. The importance of having theshoulders an set far in the interior is thus further emphasized, sinceotherwise the wetness entering at the vertical joints and penetrating ata downward incline would strike on top of the shoulder or rear high stepand thus percolate through the wall.

The corner blocks or bricks B and C are special blocks adapting eachcourse to be carried around a corner of the building in such a way as topreserve the moisture excluding structure and at the same time permitcomplementary interlocking of each course with the adjacent courses. Forthis purpose the bricks B and C are different from each other, but maybe substantially symmetrically opposite in construction, as will beclear by comparing the bricks B at the right side of Fig. 1 and at theleft side of Fig. 2 with bricks C at the left side of Fig. 1 and at theright side of Fig. 2.

Taking the special brick B shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 6, this has afront side I) and at its upper side has two surfaces b and b atdifferent levels, the front surface or step I) being at the lower leveland separated by a shoulder 12 from the higher step 5 Unlike the brick Ahowever the upper step b is not of the full length of the brick but isshortened at its right end by an amount approximately equal to the widthof the lower step b. If the shoulder be assumed as midway of the widthof the brick then the shortening of the upper step b is by an amountequal to half the width of the brick. The effect is clearly shown at theleft end of Fig. 2 where the lower step b is of L-shape matching up withthe lower steps of the adjacent bricks A, while the upper step b is ofthe regular width but shortened, thus matching up with the. upper stepsa of the adjacent bricks A, at the adjoining sides of the wall.

The under side of the brick B may be constructed complementarily to itsupper side. At the front, the under side has a horizontal lower level orsurface b and then a shoulder 6 stepping up into a recess or highersurface I), the result being a cut-out or recess similar to that at theunder side of brick A- upper step of a special brick C in the samecourse; there preferably being allowance for a vertical portion ofmortar between shoulers.

The special brick C, seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7, being substantiallysymmetrically opposite in structure to the special brick B need not bedescribed in detail. It has the front side or face 0 and the upper sidehas a first step or surface 0', then a shoulder 6 then a second step orhigher surface 6 shortened at its left end, so that the surface 0 is ofL-shape. At the under side the front surface 0 steps up by a shoulder cto a higher surface or recess 6 of shortened length at its left end,complementary to the upper step 0 The two special bricks B and Ccooperate with each other in substantially the relation indicated by therespective Figs. 6 and 7,

shown more fully and in connection with other wall elements in the otherfigures.

The specialheader or bonding bricks D are generally similar to theregular form A, but they are shorter in a longitudinal direction andlonger in a direction at right angles to the wall face so as to extendback into bonding engagement with the wall backing. As best seen in Fig.2 each header or bonding brick D may have a front side or face (1 and atits upper side a lower level or step d, then a shoulder (Z then an upperstep or surface d At its under side it may have comple mentary surfaces(Z and d connected by shoulder (Z In order that the header bricks D maybreak joints with the regular bricks A, they may be relatively laid asshown in Fig. 4, and a half width or split header brick D insertedbetween the endmost header brick and the special corner brick B or C asthe case may be.

In-the several figures the wall elements are shown spaced slightly forthe accommodation of cement or other motar m by which the wall elementsare unitarily connected. WVhile the main figures show only a shortlength of wall it is to be understood that the same principles ofconstruction may be continued indefinitely.

TVhere it is required to turn an interior corner additional specialcorner blocks or bricks may be necessary, these to be substantiallysimilar to the bricks B and C already described with the exception thatthe relatively lower and higher steps as shown will be reversed, or,stated in another way, the higher step, and the corresponding underneathrecess will be of L-shape, and the front or lower step will be ofshortened length.

With the present invention there is substantially no change in the modeof setting up a building wall and the exterior appearance and line-up ofbricks is not necessarily difierent than before. The invention thereforeserves all former purposes of building wall elements andin additiongives the effective moisture-proof advantages already described. Theseadvantages moreover are secured by a construction which is substantiallyfool-proof, that is to say the bricks are such that, once the lowestcourse isstarted correctly, the balance of the wall can not be erectedexcept in the proper manner; the bricklayer is compelled to lay thebricks in their intended manner. A wall assembled according to thepresent invention is readily shaped to window openings or other specialfeatures of a wall by applying the principles already described; andabove such window or other opening, the back recesses of the overlyingcourse of bricks naturally accommodate the top bar or lintel of thewindow, thus excluding the entry of wet and moisture at this criticalpoint.

There has thus been described a building wall structure embodying theprinciples and attaining the objects of the present invention. Sincemany matters of combination, arrangement and detail may be variouslymodified without departing from the principles of the invention it isnot intended to limit the invention to such matters except so faras setforth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A waterproof building wall structure comprising a face wall portionand a back wall portion, the face wall portion comprising superposedcourses of blocks arranged to break vertical joints, each or" suchblocks having at its upper side an upstanding longitudinal shoulderspaced substantially midway thereof, and the several shoulders in eachcourse forming a substantially continuous interior barrier againstinflow between courses, and the blocks having at their under sideslongitudinal depressions accommodating the shoulders of the blocks inthe next course below, and periodic bonding members extending from onewall portion into permanently interlocking engagement with the otherwall portion.

2. A waterproof building wall structure comprising a face wall portionand a back wall portion, the face wall portion built up of superposedcourses of solid face blocks arranged to break vertical joints, some ofwhich face blocks are extended as bonding members into the back wallportion, each of such blocks having at its upper side an upstandinglongitudinal shoulder, and such shoulders being spaced substantiallymidway of the blocks other than the bonding blocks, and the severalshoulders in each course forming a substantially continuous interiorbarrier against inflow between courses, and each block having at itsunder side a longitudinal depression accommodating the shoulders of theblocks in the next course below, the back wall portion being built up ofhollow tile, with recesses receiving the extended portions of thebonding blocks, and all said blocks and tile being permanently united bymortar.

3. A waterproof building wall structure extending around a corner andcomprising superposed courses of side bricks breaking vertical joints,each side brick having at its upper side an upstanding longitudinalshoulder spaced substantially midway of the brick, and having lowerfront and higher back steps connected by such shoulder, and, at the wallcorner, in alternate superposition, a first form of shouldered cornerbrick having a lower front and higher back step and one of such stepsshortened at one end, and a second form of shouldered corner brickhaving a lower front and higher back step, and one of such stepsshortened at the other end, and the second form set at right angles tothe first form,

' and the shoulders of all said side and corner bricks in each courseforming an intermediate continuous barrier against inflow; and all thebricks in each coursebeing formed at their under sides complementarilyto their upper sides to accommodate the shoulders and steps of the nextcourse below.

In testimony whereof, this specification has been duly si ned by:

E iDWABD HENRY KLEIN.

